A Boston College sports blog capturing the highs and lows of being a BC fan living 1,000 miles from Chestnut Hill.

Thursday, December 03, 2015

Bates to Michigan chatter starts up again

Last year seemed like Brad Bates' chance to return to his Alma mater Michigan. But the Wolverines decided to keep their interim AD around for another year and postpone a full search. Now they are back in the AD market and Bates is on everyone's short list (via BCI).

This is all very preliminary, so there isn't much to get too worked up about. Bates seems like a good fit, but who knows what Michigan is looking for this time around.

Bates' BC goals are not close to being met, but he's left his stamp on the school with the Addazio and Christian hire. Because of the challenges that both programs faced recently, there are plenty of BC fans willing to help Bate pack for Ann Arbor. I don't dislike Bates, but also think now is probably the best time for him to go. His replacement would have plenty of time to evaluate the coaches, but not be under immediate pressure to make a change (like Bates was with Spaz). Plus the new AD could come in and lead the final public stages of the "master plan" and indoor practice facility. Bates has done most of the work already, so the projects wouldn't be as daunting for his replacement.

Given that AD hires aren't on the same sort of timelines as coaches, this might take a while. We will update our opinions on Bates as the story unfolds.

36 comments:

Bill I agree with a lot of your assessments but what has he really done?

He's fired lame duck coaches. He's hired terrible replacements according to performance and record thus far. He put out a good master plan but there has been zero update or progress on it of late to note. I wouldn't trust him hiring Yorks replacement.

Really... what has bates done? Can you give us a post tracking his real accomplishments to date? Or changes to the program? Growth?

He's been a stalwart if not a placeholder or deterent to growth and change and improvement.

Please, Michigan, take him. He can hire your next hockey coach. Not mine.

His only real accomplishment was that he wasn't nearly as big a douche as his predecessor. That could only take him so far. Of course, in fairness, we'll never know what he tried or wanted to do but was stymied by the administration. The job needs a strong manager and personality. Somebody who has the ability to get around hurdles.

Go BB. This is the "dream job" for you! We understand (read are overjoyed) if you have to go. Good luck with your interviews.

Emphasize all your blather about athletes and academics. They want to hear that. At UM. Football sells itself , ticket sales are not a concern. The game day experience is great already. You just have to keep your hair nice and and offer the blather. It's is really great that an empty suit like you can really succeed. Kinda like Chance The Gardiner from the movie Being Therr

The drums are drumming that an OC change is happening… who will it be…..Who would honestly want to work for Daz the year before he is fired……Who thinks like Daz… who needs a job…

There is one bad OC in the land who just lost his job at VT….. he has positively sucked for the last 4 years (1 at Auburn, 3 at VT) and I’d bet he is on his way to BC . He is Scott Loeffler. NO !!!!

Loeffler on Daz:

“He’s a man’s man,” Loeffler said. “Tough as all get-out. And you can see that on the tape. His personality is showing up on the tape.“Extremely physical on both sides of the ball, extremely aggressive on both sides of the ball. And that’s Steve.”

Addazio said he and Loeffler have very similar ideas on how an offense should run. Both men strive for units that can run the ball behind physical offensive lines.“Steve and I, we had a lot of the same visions,” Loeffler said.“You want to be physical, you want to be tough and high energy.”

Daz on Loeffler

“Really I can’t say enough good things about him because that’s how really strong I do feel about Scot,”Addazio said this week.”

Addazio was an assistant with the Gators from 2005-10. In 2009, he became the team’s offensive coordinator and hired Loeffler to be his quarterbacks coach.

“I think that Scot Loeffler is really one of the young, bright minds in football,” Addazio said. “I’ve been around a lot of great football guys. Scot really knows football. He really has a great sense of the game, really in a lot of different styles of offenses.”

-2011 at Temple - 7th leading rushing offense in the nation (257 yards per game) and 33rd nationally in pass efficiency (142.8)-2012 at Auburn - offense finished the season dead last in the SEC in total yds/gm and pass yds/gm at 305 and 156.6, respectively. They also finished second to last with 18.7 pts/gm-2013-15 at Va Tech. i'm going to go MOD34B here and provide ranks for yards per game and points per game in the ACC2013 - 12/14 in yards, 12/14 in points2014 - 12/14 in yards, 12/14 in points2015 - 11/14 in yards, 7/14 in points

so we'd basically be locking ourselves in to a bottom 25% offense with his hire. please no!

how about John Hevesy or Billy Gonzales as the offensive coordinator? both worked with Addazio at Florida. Hevesy is from the northeast and was the TE Coach and assistant OL coach at Florida with Addazio in 2008. he also was on the staff at Syracuse at the same time Addazio was so my guess is Addazio was the guy that got Hevesy the job at UF.

Hevesy and Gonzales have been the Co-Offensive Coordinators at Mississipi State with Dan Mullen. in the mighty SEC they were 3rd in total YPG, 5th in points per game. last year they led the SEC in YPG and were 2nd in PPG. i'm sure MOD can provide some more fancy stats.

his salary (per USA Today) is $325K. Loeffler (for comparison) was paid more at VA Tech.

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/football/assistant

i have no idea where BC assistant pay ranks but i'd guess if we wanted to find the money to pay this guy we could.

I'm sure Harbaugh will have a big say on who Michigan hires. He's butted heads w/ allot of people over the years. The only reason Michigan was able to hire him was that he and the 49ER GM hated each other. So coach will definetly want someone who sees things his way. Don't know where that leaves Bates.

When will Matt Hassleback retire and want to coach?Does Chris Snee want to follow in his father in laws footsteps?

Paul Petersen - Paul Peterson joined the Hornet program in January of 2012 and serves as the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. During his time leading the Sacramento State offense, the Hornets have produced some of the best numbers in school history. The 2014 team set or tied nine school single season records, including points (458), points per game (38.2), touchdowns (60) and total yards (5,780).

Knucklehead - although Doug would never leave his current "Gig", he would be a great OC even though he has never worked on a college staff. Just look at the "Incredible" career of this lad. He is a natural and I would have no doubt that he could start as OC and immediately be a force from the start. There are so many fakers/retreads out there who bounce from job to job even though they are incompetent. With just a little talent , DOUG would immediately create "Nightmares" for all defensive Co-Ordinators.

I'd rather see Doug become our AD. He's already the face of the program. He knows BC fans. He knows the problems and challenges the school faces. If he knocked on my door asking for money for a master plan, I'd probably give him my dog and my wallet. Plus, he's not going to let football flounder (or any sport for that matter).

The athletic department has underachieved since the last couple of years of the DeFilippo era. Change is needed. Arguably dramatic change. Although it is probably irrational, at this point, any change would be viewed as good.

We need someone who will challenge the whole BC community - board of trustees, administration, students, alumni, friends - to recommit BC to competitive, winning programs in the ACC. Otherwise, BC should redefine what the objectives are for its sports department.

The approach of the last five or so years has made us the doormat of the ACC. The dedicated, die hard supporters are demoralized. We are tired of losing. Without renewed focus and commitment to meaningful improvement, BC's efforts to be a top national university will be seriously challenged.

Mark Richt is a fine molder of men and a completely average (given the talent he recruits) coach. Plus, don't think we could've afforded him. Anyway, I get the sentiment, though. Things are bleak. Say your prayers that Brown is the answer at some point.

New York Eagle- well said - drastic action is needed - The motto "Ever to Excel " is meaningless !!! There seems to be no commitment to excellence to this point. I have heard for years that the restriction on the opening/closing of BC parking areas was due to resistance from the "City of Boston". Give me a break !!!! That excuse is so lame !!! They ( The Administration )are useless !!! Their inaction will come back to "Haunt them" !!!!!

What a continuing nightmare with Jags. Georgia Southern recently took Georgia to overtime and came home against Georgia State today at 8-3. GS was 5-6. Now, they are bowl eligible after clobbering Southern. They were 5-2 at the end. There were all kinds of comments about the offense that Jags put together. No doubt, that he will be a head coach somewhere once again and it could be next year.